Resume
Frederick Douglass
1818-1851

I (being Fredrick Bailey) was born in 1818 in the state of Maryland. My mother was a black slave my father I knew nothing more of him then that he was a white man. I barely saw my mother who worked on another plantation. I was raised by my grandmother in a shack off the plantation of Aaron Anthony. At the time I turned six I was taken to the plantation and told by my grandmother to go to a group a children who were my brothers and sisters. I later found out my grandmother had left and my days of slavery had begun. I were fed like pigs and treated worse. We were given nothing but a long t-shirt. We were whipped if we did not do a task fast enough. Because I was liked by many I had the luck of being chosen as a companion for the youngest son of my “master”. Because of this friendship his sister sent to her brother in law Hugh Auld. It was there that I first learned to read taught by his wife. When he heard of this he was angered because he believed that a “learned” slave was a slave who could not be controlled. I saw this as a way to attain my freedom and now to learn was my greatest desire. I made money helping with the boats at Anthony’s ship building firm in Baltimore and bought my first book The Columbian Orator witch had speeches for liberty, and courage. My distaste for slavery grew. Unfortunately I was sent back to the plantation now owned by Anthon’s sons. But I was not easily controlled. They sent me to be “broken” by Edward Clovey. And I was. Finally I could take the whipping and beatings no longer and I ran to the Auld’s house. But they sent me back. When Clovey got his hands on me he began to prepare me for a whipping but I grabbed his neck and we fought for 2 hours. After this I was beaten less I realized "Men are whipped oftenist who are whipped easiest." A year later on a new plantation with a new “master” I Devised a plan of escape but my group and I were found out and sent to jail. Thomas Auld paid my bail though and so I was back to working on the ships I made a profession out of it I was paid highest price but all the money had to go to Auld. I also joined a group of blacks for education this is where I learned the art of debate. I could no longer live as a slave I took the money that I had made and fled on 11/3/1832 by train to P.A. and then to New York the Next day. Although I was free I was not safe I could still be caught and returned to the south. With help I found protection in the Underground Railroad in Massachusetts. In that protection I married Anne and changed my name to Fredrick Douglass. I also subscribed to the liberator a antislavery newspaper. I became involved in the Abolitionist movement going to lectures and meetings. And it was there that I met my hero William Lloyd Garrison whom I first learned about from his speech in The Colombian Orator. He saw that I had potential as a speaker and he hired me. My job was to tell my story and I did but I always talked about the treatment of blacks in the north. I spoke out against how the south said they treated their slaves bringing many souls to the cause. In 1844-1845 I wrote my autobiography. In May of 1845 I published it. This was a big deal because through this the officials could easily track me. I then sailed to Europe with Garrison and lectured there. I liked it there because I was respected for my book. I didn’t have to deal with proslavery radicals like in America. I was beginning to have my own opinions to talk about besides slavery like the freedom of the Church of Scotland. I also took into notice the fact that slave owners would drunken their slaves on Christmas and other holidays and the treatment of free blacks in society. I wanted to go home but could not do to the fact that I was a fugitive but an answered came when friends in England paid for my freedom at the age of 28. But some of my fellows Abolitionists were mad that I paid for my freedom they said that it was acknowledging Auld as my master. To that I said that Hugh Auld was never my master but my kidnapper. And now that my ransom was paid I am free to write what I like about slavery. I moved to New York where I wrote a weekly newspaper called the North Star. At first it was not selling well because a black man edited it. It was later named the Fredrick Douglass’ Paper I took pride in this because it showed a black man could do that they could accomplish there goals. I was in demand for speeches and such. I had proved myself to be an independent thinker and courageous spokesman for black liberty and equality.


MY Newspaper and Mr. Garrison are both very good examples that would help reinforce my efforts to reform America as a slavery free Union. Mr. Garrison and I have gone on many lecture campaigns so we now each other and his viewpoints. As for the North Star they are a look into my brain itself.